Maurice Bailen Collection
Inclusive Dates
1933 – 1979
Abstract
A collection of 4 16mm films documenting the history of social movements from the Great Depression onwards, while also providing a vivid glimpse of life in Chicago during the 1930s through the late 1970s.
Description
Maurice Bailen (1905-1980) was a Chicago-based filmmaker and typographer whose films were devoted to capturing social movements during pivotal moments in American history. Beginning with the important film, The Great Depression, which features rare footage of Chicago during that turbulent era, followed by Confrontation, a work exploring the country's racial and class divisions during the 1960s and 70s, Bailen utilized the cinematic medium to express political ideas in a uniquely humanistic way.
Bailen was also a member of the Chicago chapter of the Workers Film and Photo League, which was an organization of filmmakers, photographers, writers, and projectionists that operated during the 1930s. They were committed to the use of film and photography to advocate for social change, and The Great Depression was produced under that group's auspices. It is widely believed to be one of the few films produced by the Workers Film and Photo League to have survived.
Bailen was also a member of the Chicago chapter of the Workers Film and Photo League, which was an organization of filmmakers, photographers, writers, and projectionists that operated during the 1930s. They were committed to the use of film and photography to advocate for social change, and The Great Depression was produced under that group's auspices. It is widely believed to be one of the few films produced by the Workers Film and Photo League to have survived.
Collection Items
To request more information about the items in this collection, please contact the archive at
info@chicagofilmarchives.org.
Items with Viewable Media
Collection Identifier
C.2019-08
Extent of Collection
4 reels of 16mm film totaling approximately 1600 feet
Language Of Materials
English
Subject
Custodial History
The films were stored by Maurice's nephew, John Bailen, before being brought to the Chicago History Museum in August 2017. The museum subsequently referred the films to CFA in March 2019.
Access Restrictions
Appointments must be made with Chicago Film Archives for on-site access. Due to the fragile nature of the films, and the fact that they are rare, original work prints, only video copies will be provided for on-site viewing.
Use Restrictions
Chicago Film Archives holds the copyright for the films in this collection.
Creators
Bailen, Maurice
(was created by)
Maurice Bailen was born in Chicago in 1902, the son of Latvian immigrants who arrived two years prior. His earliest training was in commercial art by working in art studios and taking courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He worked mostly as a photo engraver, but scenes of the bitter 1930s in Chicago became a natural background for his first film, The Great Depression (1934), a neo-realistic film presentation of those years. "The country was in turmoil, and you could see it right on the streets. I went out and bought a Leica 35mm camera and started taking pictures all over town. Then I realized that a movie would be more effective... I knew this would be an important story to record."
Bailen organized the Chicago Film and Photo League with about ten other filmmakers who were shooting documentaries about the Depression. They hoped that by circulating the films they could stir a movement of protest against living and working conditions. He was especially inspired by the films of Charlie Chaplin, John Huston, John Ford, Sergei Eisenstein, and G.W. Pabst. While in Paris in 1939, he had the privilege of observing Pabst direct the film The Liberation of Indochina at the Pathe Film Studio, which left a great impression.
Between 1939 and 1961, Bailen made no films at all. In the turbulent '60s, however, he returned to filmmaking, making films including The City and Confrontation. In 1975, he told Chicago Tribune Magazine "I continue to film protest marches even now because so much has been accomplished by such activities in the past. I suppose I have my personal reasons, too: I missed out on a high school education because my family was poor and I had to go to work, and for low wages. The fact that some had more than they needed and didn't have to work for it... made an early impression on me. I can't do anything about injustice by showing a few films to people, but maybe I'll touch some of them." Bailen's films were largely concerned with presenting social and political movements at turbulent times in American history, while also vividly capturing the people of Chicago.
According to an article written by Rick Bollinger for the Chicago Tribune on April 27, 1975, Bailen was referred to as the “godfather of Underground Film in Chicago,” and many experimental filmmakers looked to him for guidance and inspiration. During the 1960s and 1970s, screenings of his films in various independent venues and cine-clubs throughout the city were often publicized as key destinations for local cinephiles to congregate and have an open discourse on film, art, and politics.
Bailen passed away in 1980 at age 78.
Bailen organized the Chicago Film and Photo League with about ten other filmmakers who were shooting documentaries about the Depression. They hoped that by circulating the films they could stir a movement of protest against living and working conditions. He was especially inspired by the films of Charlie Chaplin, John Huston, John Ford, Sergei Eisenstein, and G.W. Pabst. While in Paris in 1939, he had the privilege of observing Pabst direct the film The Liberation of Indochina at the Pathe Film Studio, which left a great impression.
Between 1939 and 1961, Bailen made no films at all. In the turbulent '60s, however, he returned to filmmaking, making films including The City and Confrontation. In 1975, he told Chicago Tribune Magazine "I continue to film protest marches even now because so much has been accomplished by such activities in the past. I suppose I have my personal reasons, too: I missed out on a high school education because my family was poor and I had to go to work, and for low wages. The fact that some had more than they needed and didn't have to work for it... made an early impression on me. I can't do anything about injustice by showing a few films to people, but maybe I'll touch some of them." Bailen's films were largely concerned with presenting social and political movements at turbulent times in American history, while also vividly capturing the people of Chicago.
According to an article written by Rick Bollinger for the Chicago Tribune on April 27, 1975, Bailen was referred to as the “godfather of Underground Film in Chicago,” and many experimental filmmakers looked to him for guidance and inspiration. During the 1960s and 1970s, screenings of his films in various independent venues and cine-clubs throughout the city were often publicized as key destinations for local cinephiles to congregate and have an open discourse on film, art, and politics.
Bailen passed away in 1980 at age 78.